Searching for a single oil to run in three cars spanning 33 years of age…

15W-40's have a higher minimum HTHS requirement than 0W or 5W-40's. At shear rates even higher than those used for the HTHS measurement, there will be a larger difference, with the 15W-40 being much thicker. The W number is relevant to high temperature protection, even though that's not what it's meant for.
That’s a good point. Worth highlighting (chart from link below; I added arrows to clarify).

https://wiki.anton-paar.com/en/sae-viscosity-grades/

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15W-40's have a higher minimum HTHS requirement than 0W or 5W-40's. At shear rates even higher than those used for the HTHS measurement, there will be a larger difference, with the 15W-40 being much thicker. The W number is relevant to high temperature protection, even though that's not what it's meant for.
A high HTHS 5W-40 will cover the 15W-40 requirement. PP Euro (estimated), Motul X-Cess, Ravenol, Rowe, etc.
 
Glad you posted here after our chat on the other forum. My vote is 5W40 Euro for all. LM LLHT is a good one. Note that while FCP still has the Lifetime Replacement Guarantee, PayPal free return shipping has been gone for a while. I use pirateship.com for low-cost shipping. Also...only store credit now. Just monitor the consumption on the MK1 with the thinner 5W40.
 
Glad you posted here after our chat on the other forum. My vote is 5W40 Euro for all. LM LLHT is a good one. Note that while FCP still has the Lifetime Replacement Guarantee, PayPal free return shipping has been gone for a while. I use pirateship.com for low-cost shipping. Also...only store credit now. Just monitor the consumption on the MK1 with the thinner 5W40.

LoL, I’m guesing you mean Club Lexus? Yes we were having a good oil chat there!

Awesome to cross-reference info to keep us all on track/honest. I’m glad to see cross-over from there. I have recommended to a lot of people over the years at that forum to come to BITOG to get up to speed on lube issues. (Not you; I mean other threads, and in the past).

And I’m not going to lie, I love your avatar. Maybe one of of my top five movies of all time. My brother and our cousins still quote it to each other as a Shibboleth.
 
LoL, I’m guesing you mean Club Lexus? Yes we were having a good oil chat there!

Awesome to cross-reference info to keep us all on track/honest. I’m glad to see cross-over from there. And I’m not going to lie, I love your avatar. Maybe one of of my top five movie of all time. My brother and our cousins still quote it to each other as a Shibboleth.
Huh? OP talking about VWs not Lexus. Golfmk7 forum.
 
Huh? OP talking about VWs not Lexus. Golfmk7 forum.

Sorry I misunderstood. I saw the RX in your sig line where we were having a heated oil conversation the other day, same as this one, and your response fell in line - after my viscosity post and w/o reference.

Still like the avatar.
 
15W-40's have a higher minimum HTHS requirement than 0W or 5W-40's. At shear rates even higher than those used for the HTHS measurement, there will be a larger difference, with the 15W-40 being much thicker. The W number is relevant to high temperature protection, even though that's not what it's meant for.
Any 40 grade with a European approval will have a HTHS of no less than 3.5. You start getting syn-blends with 15w-X and the HTHS isn't going to be that much higher (ex 4.0 vs 3.7). This is on top of that fact that 15w40 is almost nonexistent outside of some diesel applications (Rotella T4) and you don't want to use a diesel oil in a gas engine anyways. Not to mention that the diesel oil is formulated under CK-4 similar to a ACEA C3 vs the suggested A3/B4 gasoline oils,

btw..the OPs 1990 Cabriolet pre-dates the first ACEA specifications by almost 6 years.
 
I'd personally run either a Liquimoly or Castrol 0W40. I think your Golf R only requires VW 502 00 oil, not 504. The 0W40 typically has better oil base stocks than the 5W40's.
 
I'd personally run either a Liquimoly or Castrol 0W40. I think your Golf R only requires VW 502 00 oil, not 504. The 0W40 typically has better oil base stocks than the 5W40's.
2019 R is 504.
 
I don’t get the necessity of carrying only one product.

Especially if your oldest vehicle seems to have some different requirements.

At simplest face value, a euro 5w-30, 5w-40 or 0w-40, and possibly a 5w-40 hdeo would make sense. There are surely specs that need to be met, so specific product selection would hinge on your willingness to comply, or not…

But carrying a few quarts of something else if it’s easier to standardize for two cars and not the third, IMO shouldn’t be a big deal…
 
I don’t get the necessity of carrying only one product.

Especially if your oldest vehicle seems to have some different requirements.

At simplest face value, a euro 5w-30, 5w-40 or 0w-40, and possibly a 5w-40 hdeo would make sense. There are surely specs that need to be met, so specific product selection would hinge on your willingness to comply, or not…

But carrying a few quarts of something else if it’s easier to standardize for two cars and not the third, IMO shouldn’t be a big deal…
The necessity is pretty easy to understand, I just want to purchase a single oil for our VWs and not have to fuss with 3 different ones. Not too difficult to understand, I think.

I’m also going to be adding another VR6 motor to the fleet soon, too.

In the end I think I’ll prob just attack the theee cars with one oil and leave the ‘90 on the old stuff for the once a year I have to do it.
 
Whats wrong with your current choice from LM for all 3? Especially with the FCP LRG (except for return shipping cost now). If thats a sticking point, Castrol EC 5W-40, or Quaker State Euro 5W-40 from Wally. I think your cars will outlive you with any of these and regular change intervals.
 
Whats wrong with your current choice from LM for all 3? Especially with the FCP LRG (except for return shipping cost now). If thats a sticking point, Castrol EC 5W-40, or Quaker State Euro 5W-40 from Wally. I think your cars will outlive you with any of these and regular change intervals.
That's got to be a bad omen to tell him Volkswagen's are going to outlive him? He's not 90 is he?
 
The necessity is pretty easy to understand, I just want to purchase a single oil for our VWs and not have to fuss with 3 different ones. Not too difficult to understand, I think.

I’m also going to be adding another VR6 motor to the fleet soon, too.

In the end I think I’ll prob just attack the theee cars with one oil and leave the ‘90 on the old stuff for the once a year I have to do it.
It’s just another bottle. Of which you’ll probably have quite a few.

I don’t know. I have 13 cars. I keep different oils because many spec different things. It’s just not hard. Some vehicles get the same oil and I can pour a remnant bottle from one change into another. Great. And? Not earth shattering versus a different car which has a different oil.
 
In the end I think I’ll prob just attack the theee cars with one oil and leave the ‘90 on the old stuff for the once a year I have to do it.
If you're looking to simplify things, changing the oil every 2-3 years on that car would be completely reasonable, at 1,500 miles per year. The typical 6-12 month limits on OCI are due to concerns with extensive short-tripping. For a seldom-used vehicle that isn't short-tripped, the OCI can be based on mileage.
 
I don’t know, why not? This is why I’m here :)

The BITOG Hive Mind loves to ask the OP "why not X" as if something is implied, and to try to get you to say all the reasons that are going through your mind of "why not" so that they can systematically make you out to look like an idiot, rather than just answer the original question with a recommendation.

It's actually sick, and this forum needs to cut it out. My advice... don't try to answer "why not" with any rational thoughts.... ;)
 
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The BITOG Hive Mind loves to ask the OP "why not X" as if something is implied, and to try to get you to say all the reasons that are going through your mind of "why not" so that they can systematically make you out to look like an idiot, rather than just answer the original question with a recommendation.

It's actually sick, and this forum needs to cut it out.
Truth.

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